School Leavers

Take your first steps towards a fantastic future by joining our modern Sixth Form Centre.

Bridge the gap between school and university in a supportive yet independent environment - study three or four subjects and make friends for life across the two years.

We are one of the largest Sixth Form Centres in County Durham with a reputation for success. We offer a wide choice of subjects, expert teaching, individual support and help to progress to university or employment.

Trailblaze the way to achieving your university and career aspirations. 

 Download our Sixth Form Centre course guide

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Be the future of accounting and progress with our professional accounting qualifications.

From your first step into an exciting new career through to supporting you as a senior professional within your organisation, current and future accounting technicians will benefit from our range of AAT qualifications.

NCD will take you from basic accounting principles and techniques through to preparing company budgets, financial statements and analysing company performance.

With internationally recognised qualifications, professional body membership and  apprenticeship or funded options available across most of our courses, there has never been a better time to develop your skills and take your career to the next level.

Want to know more about studying an apprenticeship with the AAT? 

Visit the AAT website for more information 

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The creative arts sector is very competitive and it will take a lot of drive and determination to succeed in this industry. It is made up of lots of small companies and self-employment is common so it is ideal if you have an entrepreneurial flair.

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A career in the beauty industry can take you anywhere in the world! If you like being your own boss you could also have your own business or go freelance.

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With the need for over 150,000 houses to be built over the next twenty years in our local area there has never been a better time to become a bricklayer.

Bricklaying is a craft for life. It is one of the traditional trades that - both in the UK and around the world - will provide you with in-demand skills to set the foundations for you to accept opportunities to work in amazing locations. 

If you choose to study bricklaying at New College Durham, you will develop the knowledge, skills and behaviours needed to build, repair and maintain the country's housing stock, while also working with the area’s biggest employers and construction partners.

Our bricklaying courses will suit you if you if you're looking for a practical course to challenge your problem solving skills. Your day-to-day role will involve building, shaping and re-structuring builds to meet drawing specifications and supervisor demands. 

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Ever thought about owning your own business?

Gain the wider skills to start your own building maintenance business. At NCD you will work with our highly qualified tutors who will share their expert experience of the craft.

From historic to modern structure repairs, you will develop skills that are in huge demand in a practical workshop environment.

Did you know that the North East has one of the highest concentrations of listed buildings? These buildings are in constant need of repair to protect them, and with a current skills shortage there has never been a better time to get into construction and building maintenance.

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With a government drive for more and better jobs in the North East, our business department is the  best place to develop the skills required by local, national and international employers.

At NCD, we work with businesses to design and deliver a curriculum that focuses on the practical application of knowledge for a career in retail, leadership and management, administration, finance, sales or marketing.

You will develop the entrepreneurial skills needed to take both you and your business ideas to the next level. As you progress with us, you will also receive opportunities to work or study abroad.

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Build a future-proof career as a carpenter or joiner with New College Durham.

At NCD - and as a country - we have a huge commitment to sustainability. Timber frame houses and modular construction are the sustainable future and by learning the essential carpentry and joinery skills from our industry specialist staff you will guarantee yourself a job in a trade that is in ever-increasing demand.

You will be suppoted to make sure you develop the employability skills needed to make a name for yourself in the carpentry and joinery sector. Our excellent apprenticeship opportunities position us as a top choice for local employers, meaning you can get real-life workshop experience in site carpentry, bench carpentry or furniture manufacturing.

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Computing & IT is at the heart of everyday life, at home, work and in our leisure time from computer graphics and control systems to communications and problem-solving and cyber security to software development, Computing & IT has an ever increasing role to play.

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Construction and Civil Engineering is the creation of the built environment. If you are interested in designing and building things this could be the career for you. You will need to make decisions confidently, have excellent communication and project management skills and able to work within budgets and to deadlines.

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Let us help you take your next step in life, work and study with our flexible ESOL programmes.

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Interested in working in a rewarding career with children and young people?

Study key aspects - such as safeguarding - and get the opportunity to gain real-life experience in a workplace setting. Develop the knowledge, skills and behaviours needed for a career in the sector with one of our full-time courses, T-Levels or earn while you learn with an apprenticeship.

Our new T-Level qualification will equip you to progress in careers such as primary education or youth work. You will work with pupils in the agre range of primary to secondary school.

Our exciting courses range from entry level to degree level so you can join a course that is right for you. 

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Prospects for qualified electricians are excellent. It is a technical and highly skilled job. They make sure that wires and circuits are safe, repair faults in the electrics and install new circuits after building work is complete.

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The engineering sector has a range of specialised areas, two of which are mechanical engineering and electrical engineering. The demand for qualified engineers is very high so career prospects are good.

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At NCD, we have developed a range of specialist pathways designed with your uniqueness in mind.

Each pathway aims to support young people with disabilities, learning difficulties, or difficulty managing emotions or behaviour to prepare for adult life. You will develop your confidence, independence, and work readiness.

We are here to help you prepare for life beyond college – you will be supported every step of the way, from transitioning from school to college to meeting your dedicated tutor.

Your experience at NCD will be individual to you, your skills and interests.

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Graphic Design & Digital Arts are a huge part of logo design and organisation branding to visual communications, illustration, web design, animation and interior design; Graphic Design and Digital Arts have an ever increasing role to play.

The creative industries is the second largest industry in the UK. The UK has some of the best design agencies in the world which, not surprisingly, makes it a very competitive marketplace for jobs.

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Can you cut it as a hairdresser and keep up with this fast-paced, fashion-led industry?  

British hairdressing has an excellent reputation and is regarded as the best in the world! You will need to be sociable, have a strong creative streak and an interest in fashion to work in this popular sector.

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There are around 4 million people employed in the Health and Social Care sector in the UK. If you are caring and approachable, have good verbal and communication skills, have a passion for helping others and remain calm under pressure then you will have a healthy future in this sector.

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Interested in a career in the healthcare sector? There are around 4 million people employed in the Health and Social Care sector in the UK. If you are caring and approachable, have good verbal and communication skills and have a passion for helping others then you will have a healthy future in this sector.

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You need to be seen to manage to work under pressure, have a creative flair, obtain communication and leadership skills and the ability to multi -task and be highly motivated to work in the hospitality and catering industry.

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Around one million people are employed in the media industry in the UK so it is a popular career choice. Multi-skilled people who can understand different platforms of technology are currently in demand in this exciting and fast moving industry. You also need to have an attention to detail, commercial sense, negotiation skills and excellent communication skills.

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Get qualified to work on the cars of the future! Electric, diesel and petrol - you will learn about them all the the incredible technology behind how they work.

Our enthusiastic mechanics are industry specialists and walk, talk and breathe automotive. Share your passion for motor technology in our state-of-the-art motor vehicle workshop.

There is huge demand for motor vehicle technicians and currently a national shortage. Why not be at the cutting edge of new developments, learn

• how a car can drive itself
• how a car saves your life in an accident before you know it’s happened
• how a car can operate thousands of systems in seconds to keep you on the road.

At the same time you’ll also be equipping yourself with qualifications that will give you a lifelong career.

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Have you got what it takes for a career in music? Our full-time music courses will help you to succeed in this highly competitive sector.

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Our painters and decorators put their new skills to the test by working on real-life projects to help the community and give existing properties in need of a glow up some TLC. 

With the government's target to supply over 300,000 new homes in the UK over the next few years, the opportunities for painting and decorating specialists have never been better! Give yourself the best chance of gaining a fantastic career by studying with our incredible painting and decorating team who can teach you anything from basic cutting-in to complex marbling effects.

Did you know that Hollywood films are often filmed in the UK? Did you also know that every set has a designated painting and decorating team? Often what you see on the big screen is made to look real by a specialist team who have unique painting skills.

Get set for action with New College Durham!

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Performing arts is a highly competitive sector and employment is located around large cities such as London, Manchester and Birmingham.

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It’s not just about water and gas! Our plumbing team are experts in their field and deliver lessons on all sustainable technology, including solar power.

Using their extensive experience, wealth of knowledge and superb delivery techniques our team empowers the next generation of plumbing and domestic heating engineers.

 At NCD we have a fantastic track record to make sure you progress to become fully qualified. You will work with the top local employers to get the best careers.  Job roles are significantly changing to make sure our houses are greener; at NCD you will be in the perfect place to be part of that change, giving you an opportunity to be the master of your own success.

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We have three pathways in sport to suit all of your career aspirations, so whether you want to be a sports coach, a physiotherapist or a personal trainer to the stars, this is the place to be!

We offer opportunities in sports coaching and development, sport and exercise science or fitness across a range of levels and starting points. To find out more about our specific courses please look at our sport programmes below or contact us using our live chat function. Over 400,000 people in England have sport-related jobs and the sport and fitness sector is growing and evolving all the time and not surprisingly, employment is expected to rise, so you are onto a winner if you choose this career path!

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The UK tourism industry is worth a cool £127 billion a year and employs three million people. The industry is flying high with faster growth than any other economic sector and there are predictions of it being one of Britain’s best performing sectors over the next decade.

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The uniformed services sector is a huge employer and can give you an exciting and rewarding career. You should be able to remain calm in an emergency and use your initiative to work under pressure to lead, motivate or take orders.

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